1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an underwater control connector and in particular to a connector having a seal for forming a fluid tight junction between two conduits. More particularly, this junction would be formed during the engagement of the two members of the underwater connector, with the joined conduits used for the transmission of hydraulic fluid.
2. General Background
Many underwater operations, in particular oil exploration and production, are performed with a portion of the equipment located at least semi-permanently on the ocean floor. Typically this equipment would be of the type which requires little or no continuing maintenance, is relatively difficult to connect and disconnect from the underwater wellhead connection, and can withstand the rigors of an underwater environment for an extended period of time.
The function of this equipment is directed from the surface of the ocean by means of control conductors traveling from a surface location to the underwater equipment. When used during the drilling phase, emergency situations may arise where it is necessary to immediately disconnect and later reconnect the control conductors. For this purpose connectors have been developed which facilitate this disconnecting and reconnecting of the control conductors to the underwater equipment. As it has been generally found advantageous to employ hydraulically actuated underwater equipment, the connectors employed in this service must acheive a seal between the conduits carrying the hydraulic control signals to the detachable portion of the connector and the conduits running from the underwater portion of the connector to the underwater equipment to be actuated.
During an emergency disconnection, there may not be enough time to reduce the fluid pressure within the conduit. Such a disconnection, when the conduit is under pressure, can lead to loss or dislocation of the sealing element. Subsequent to such an event, the detachable portion of the connector must generally be raised to the surface for replacement of the lost seals.
3. Description of the Prior Art
The seals used in joining the hydraulic conduits between the connector members are an important element of the connector design. A failed seal may result in the inoperability of the corresponding actuator in the underwater equipment and necessitate the repair of the seal before continuing with the underwater operation. If the seal is located in the retrievable portion of the connector it can be raised to the surface for repair, however in deep sea operations, this raising and subsequent lowering of the connector is an expensive and time consuming operation.
One type of seal used in this service is a simple O-ring which would be carried in a concentric groove around the mating end of the hydraulic conduit. When the connector is engaged, the O-ring would be compressed between the connector members and form a fluid tight seal between the corresponding conduits. These simple O-rings were susceptible to blowing out during the engagement and disengagement of the connector as a result of differential pressure between the conduit and the underwater environment.
Another type of sealing means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,549 by Koomey et al., which shows a cylindrically shaped resilient seal held in a recess in the connector member by a removable retainer which screws into the connector member. Blowout of this seal is prevented by the retainer which compresses the resilient seal into the recess and also cooperates with a metal ring to preclude blowout. This arrangement without the metal ring allows the seal to expand and be dislodged under high pressure release. Replacement of this seal requires that the retainer be unscrewed, the seal member replaced, and the retainer again screwed into the connector.